Lost in Erebor
by Tolkien Swag
Summary: Little Fili and Kili wonder why they can't run around the market alone. A one-shot


**Author's Note: Here is a story I wrote based off a prompt for jaymzNshed. It is a cute little family fic filled with lots of curiosity from young dwarflings.**

"So why can't we run around town?" Fili asked, "We've lived here our whole life!"

Smiling a a memory Thorin gently told the boys, "just because you live here doesn't mean you know the way around."

"Who would lose their way around their own town?" A curious Kili inquired, scrunching up his nose and sharing a laugh with his older brother.

"It is possible. Would you like to hear a story about you uncle and his brother?" Thorin picked up the two boys and set them on his lap. The two little dwarrows nodded their heads eagerly.

Taking a deep breath, he began. "One day, when your uncle Frerin and I is very young, my little brother suggested we skip school and run around Erebor. I thought it was a fantastic idea so we-"

"What is Erebor?" Little Kili interrupted.

"A mountain that holds the most wonderful kingdom ever to exist. Your mother and I grew up there." A patient uncle responded. Storytime usually turned out to be question time, so all older dwarfs knew better than to tell a story without being fully prepared to present ever minuscule detail.

"Why don't you live there anymore?" Fili put in.

"That is another story for another time." The boys loving Uncle put in, almost sadly "Anyway, we made careful plans to avoid our tutor and hide out all day, which is a very bad idea my boys." Thorin could see the scheming in a young Kili's eyes. "Anyway, morning came and we began with our plan."

"What was your plan?" Kili asked.

Sighing, Thorin, still patiently continued, "I am getting to that. Anyway, we ran out of the kitchen and his in the throne room." Before they could ask, he put it. "The throne room is very big. It is almost three times the size of your house."

A question could not be avoided. "Why?" Fili asked.

"Because that is how big the builders wanted it. Do you want to hear the story or not?" Thorin asked, not yet entirely frustrated but wanting to get on with the story.

"Yes Uncle." The boys meekly whispered.

Smiling their uncle went on. "We hid in the throne room. Our grandfather sat on the throne with the Arkenstone, a very important jewel, resplendent above his head."

"Why is it important?" Fili asked.

Groaning and rubbing his temples, Thorin said. "It has been the jewel of kings for centuries."

"Where is it now?" Kili asked.

"_You'd think I would be better at telling stories by now" _Thorin thought ruefully. "It is lost, I know not where. Allow me to continue. We hid there until we were sure our tutor, Fundin had stopped looking for us. Then we set out to explore. We ran as far away into the mountain as we could."

"Why?" The voice of Fili rang out.

Thorin shook his head. "Because we were young and stupid. We ran and continued to run. We had lived in Erebor our entire lives, and we wanted adventure. We thought we knew the way, but we didn't really."

"What happened?" the voice of this question belonged to Kili.

Heaving and exasperated sigh, Thorin ignored the question and went on, "So we ran and ran and ran. After a while we had to stop to catch our breath. So we did. At that point we realized that we had no idea where we were."

"Why not?" Fili asked

"Well it is a very large place. It is quite easy to get lost. Just like it is in town." Their uncle attempted to tie in the lesson, rather unsucessfully.

"What did you do?" A worried Kili asked. It had just occurred to him that this was a real story, not another fake one their uncle had made up. Fili was still skeptical.

Thorin remembered the day as clearly as if it had been the day before. "We sat and waited. And waited. We knew that eventually someone would find us and take us back."

"Who found you?" Chirped Kili.

At this point Thorin's patience was wearing thin. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak again, making sure to leave no room for questions. "After what seemed like hours, Our Da found us. Frowning, he marched us back home. We had to move almost as fast as when we ran away. It turns out our tutor told our father right away that we were missing. He had spent the entire day looking for us in the usual places we liked to hide." Sensing the boys next question, he quickly added, "We hid in our bedrooms or in the market, but after we were not found there, Father had branched out. When we finally returned home, our mother was worried sick. Father, who had been worried too, was now livid. He was supposed to negotiate with the elves, curse them, but instead had to look for us. Needless to say, your uncle Frerin and I could not sit down for a long while after that."

"Why?" Fili asked again, giggling, because he knew exactly why.

"And that is why you can't go to the market alone. Any more question?" Thorin asked, ruffing the two boys hair, glad to finally have his story done.

Kili looked up at his beloved uncle with furrowed brows, "Who is Uncle Frerin?"


End file.
